Coal and like cutting machine



F e b. 23, 1932. w. VERNON ET AL 1,846,574

GOAL AND LIKE CUTTING MACHINE Filed April 10, 1951 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM VERNON, OF KINGSBURY, AND SYDNEY THOMAS, 01E NUNEATON, ENGLAND COAL. AND LIKE CUTTING MACHINE Application filed April 10, 1931, Serial No. 529,246, and in Great Britain April 22, 1930.

This invention relates to a machine for cutting coal and the like by means of a mov ing endless chain or wheel which carries a number of picks or cutters, the machine being advanced along the ground by suitable means. These machines should be provided with guards to prevent the men working the machine coming into contact with the picks or cutters. With the guards heretofore provided, however, great difliculty is present in that the material removed by the cutters must be rapidly removed at the point where the cutters pass around the driving sprocket or wheel, otherwise this material becomes piled 1 up at this point and is carried round by the cutters. The present invention has for its object to remove these defects, and to facilitate the clearing away of the material removed by the cutters, and also to provide an eflicient guard or fence to protect the men operating the machine against liability of injury through coming into contact with the cutters. According to the present improvements, a guard for a. coal cutting machine is fitted to the machine frame and mounted to rotate with the jib of the machine, and the guard preferably has a blade or member which extends alongside the cutter chain passing along 303 the jib of the machine. This blade or member is pivotally mounted on the guard and besides forming a guard also forms a scraper or cleaner. A deflector plate or plates is or are fixed to the guard which may be so constructed and arranged that the material deflected by a deflector plate or blade, can pass therethrough. A bar conveniently protects the delivery opening for the cuttings on the goaf side of the machine. With a guard so constructed and arranged the material cut by the cutters is deflected at the point where the cutters pass around the driving wheel or sprocket and is caused to be delivered away from the cutters, thereby leaving the cut- 453 free from dirt or coal as the case may be. The guard completely cleans out the out behind the machine so that men are not required for this operation.

Referring to the drawings 50. Figure 1 is a plan view of a guard constructed according to this invention and fitted to a machine.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the guard.

Figure 3 is an elevation looking in the direction of arrow a Figure 2, of the guard fitted to the machine, and,

Figure A is a plan view showing the machine jibbed out.

According to a convenient embodiment, the invention is applied to a coal cutting machine of the type having a longitudinal frame portion 1 which houses the means for propelling it along the floor of the coal mine and the means for driving the cutters. At the rear end of the machine a suitable toothed sprocket 2 is rotatably mounted about a vertical axis, the sprocket being arranged below the machine casing 3 and at a suitable distance from the bed plate 4 ofv the machine which rests on the floor of the mine. A jib or supporting frame 5 projects at right angles to the rear end of the machine, and another toothed sprocket is rotatably mounted at the out-er free end of this jib or support. An endless chain 6 connects these two sprockets and runs over the outer edge of the jib or support. Alternate links of this chain carry suitable picks or cutters 7 for cutting a groove in the face of the mine seam so that the coal may afterwards be picked or otherwise removed. This groove is approximately five inches in width. According to this invention to protect the men from coming into contact with the moving cutters, a guard or fence is provided which covers the driving sprocket and also covers the cutter-chain at all exposed parts. The guard comprises a skeleton frame 8 having a vertical portion 8a and a central horizontal strip 9 which is pivotally fixed by the pin 10 on the casing of the machine 3. The side strips 11 are also provided on the frame, and such strips are detachably and adjustably fixed to the easing 3 by means of the slotted strips 11a fixed to the strips 11. When jibbing in or out the strips 11a are disconnected as shown by Figure 4. These strips 9 and 11 have welded thereto the metal guard plate 12. A guard plate 13 is'fitted on the coal face side and is detachably fixed to the plate 12 and the jib 1 ring it by means of bolts. The jib ring 1 1 is fixed to the jib or cutter bar 5 and through the medium of the guard plate 13, attached to the jib ring and to the plate 12, the plate 12 and consequently the guard are caused to swing with the jib. The jib 5 is locked to the casing 3 in the usual manner by means of a pin which engages in a perforation in the jib ring and a registering perforation in the casing. The plate 13 may be fitted to either side according to the position of the jib. The horizontal guard plate 12 is provided with the circular groove 15 which is engaged by a pin 15a fixed on the top of the back of the machine, and a circular narrow guide flange 17 on the underside of the plate 12 is located outside the casing 3. The pin 150; may carry a roller for engaging the groove 15. The said groove and pin and flange 17 help to support and keep the guard in position both when the machine is cutting and when jibbing in and out. A guard plate 18 is pivoted on the frame 8 by means of the pin 19 to. guard the cutters particularly when jibbing and to scrape the surface of the undercut when the machine is working. The blade 18 is supported in guides 20 on each side of the fulcrum which allow the blade to rise and fall whilst travelling over the face of the undercut. A strengthening T-strip 21 is fixed to the back of the blade, and a hole 22 is provided for receiving a pin which also passes into a hole in the frame 8 when it is required to fix the blade whilst jibbing in and out. A deflecting plate 23 is adjustably and detachably fixed on the goaf side of the machine, and such plate is bolt-ed to an angle bracket 2% one limb of which is adjustably fixed to the underside of the plate 12 by means of a pin which passes through the slot 25 in the bracket 24-. A second deflecting plate 26 is similarly detachably and adjustably fixed to the plate 12 on the coal face side of the machine, and thisdetlecting plate is preferably shorter than the deflecting plate 23. Any material carried round by the cutters will be deflected by the plate 28 and any material which passes the latter plate will be deflected by the plate 26, and any material deflected by this latter plate can pass through the back of the skeleton guard frame 8 which lies on the outer side of the coal face 27. If any small amount of material passes the plate 26, it is deflected back by the blade 18. This blade is curved rearwardly, so that the movement gives the deflecting action. The blade also leaves the face of the undercut clean.

The dirt delivery opening on the outer edge of the sprocket wheel 2 is protected by a bar 28 which is fixed at one end to the deflector plate 23 whilst the other end is supported by passing through a hole in the bracket 29, thus allowing jibbing to take place Without detaching the bar. hen it is required to move the jib it is only necessary to release the strips 1160, the guard then revolving with the jib.

The various parts of the guard and scraper are so arranged that they may be readily rearranged to permit of the jib working on the right or left hand. The guard may be adjusted to work with any type of machine whether over or under-cutting.

On each corner at the back of the guard a bracket 30 is provided to carry. the electric cable when trailing behind the machine.

Inserted in the cutter chain, in the cutter box for preference, is a paddle plate 31 which is fixed at the back or front of the cutter in the box. A paddle plate 32 may also be fitted behind the cutter in lieuvof the paddle plate 31. These paddles clear away the cuttings from the cutting side of the holing and prevent the jib clogging, more. especially when the holing is damp. The depending wall of the guard extends beyond the bed plate of the machine.

It will thus be seen that the material will not become piled up locally around the driving sprocket, and will therefore not be carried round by the cutters, as it is thrown off the deflecting plates towards the goat. The device reduces the cost of labour or power expended in cleaning out the groove or; holing after it has been cut and produces cleaner coal as no dirt isleft behind, and also more round coal. This is particularly so when the machine is being used for cutting fireclay. When the cutting is done in the coal, the coal may be left behind the machine and afterwards removed.

Claims:

1. A guard for a chain or disc type coal cutting machine having a cutter. chain jib, comprising a guard for the cutter chain where it passes around the chain sprocket, and a blade or guard which extends alongside the cutter chain along the ib of the machine, and means for fixing the guard in relation to the jib so that it will rotate with the jib.

2. A guard for a chain or disc. type coal cutting machine having a cutter chain jib, comprising a guard for the cutter chain where it passes around the chain sprocket, and a blade or guard which extends alongside the cutter chain along the jib of the machine, which guard is pivoted to the first mentioned guard and also forms asclaper or cleaner.

3. A guard for a chain or disc type coal cutting machine having a cutter chain ,jib, comprising a guard for the cutter chain where it passes around the chain sprocket, means for fixin g the guard to thejib ring, and means for rotatably .mounting the guard on the frame carrying the jib.

4. A guard. for a chain or disc type. coal cutting machine having a cutterrchain jib, comprising a guard-forthe cutter chain-where it. passes around the, chain SPIOCkQtyIIIGiLDS for detachably fixing the guard to the jib ring on either side of the machine to provide for the jib working either on the right or left side, and so that the guard will rotate with the jib, and means for rotatably mounting the guard on the frame of the machine.

5. A guard for a chain or disc type coal cutting machine having a cutter chain jib, comprising a frame guarding the cutter chain where it passes around the chain sprocket and extending from the frame carrying the jib, and a deflector plate or plates carried by the said frame for deflecting material, carried round by the cutter chain, to the side of the machine.

6. A guard for a chain or disc type coal cutting machine having a cutter chain jib, comprising a guard frame extending rearwardly from the frame carrying the jib, which frame is open at the back toallow material to pass therethrough, means for fixing the frame to rotate with the jib, a blade fixed to the rear of said frame and extending along the jib of the machine, and deflector plates fixed to the underside of said frame for deflecting material, carried round by the cutters, to the side of the machine.

7. A guard for a chain or disc type coal cutting machine having a cutter chain jib, comprising a guard frame extending rearwardly from the frame carrying the jib of the machine and having an open depending rear portion, means for fixing the guard frame to rotate with the jib, a blade pivotally mounted 011 the rear depending portion of the guard frame, and shaped to incline inwardly towards the jib and to pass along the jib, to deflect the material scraped thereby away from the cut, a deflecting plate or plates carried by said guard frame, and a bar which protects the delivery opening for the cuttings at the goaf side of the machine.

8. A guard for a chain or disc type coal cutting machine having a cutter chain jib, comprising a frame guarding the cutter chain where it passes around the chain sprocket and extending from the frame carrying the jib, a deflector plate or plates carried by the said frame for deflecting material, carried around by the cutter chain, to the side of the machine, and a deflector plate carried by the said frame for deflecting material through the back of the frame.

In witness whereof we have signed this specification, Birmingham, England.

WILLIAM VERNON. SYDNEY THOMAS. 

